No Heroes in War
by Tealfeather123
Summary: War looks like a simple thing, doesn't it? You go to a battlefield, fight the enemy, and gain some glory. Easy, right? Well, all I could tell you it that is all propaganda. War is never simple. War is a place were glory doesn't exist.
1. Chapter 1

**No Heroes in War**

**By**

**Tealfeather123**

**Chapter 1**

The scenery was peaceful and quiet, as my surrounding was filled with tall green trees and soft green grass. The cool wind blew from above, making the leaves rustle and the flowers and grass sway as they were blown gently. I looked around me and enjoyed the beautiful sight, thinking that it looked calm and peaceful and filled with tranquility. Nothing could have ruined this place that was made by nature and for a moment I believed that. I believed that beauty such as this could never be destroyed or be blemished by anything. For anything that would do such a thing would have its conscience stop it. But deep inside I knew that was not true. I knew that it would not last forever and so I tried to enjoy it as much as I can before it disappears.

But the beauty of the land disappeared quicker than I thought when a sudden shrieking sound zipped towards us before being engulfed by a large explosion. The explosion rang in my ears as I saw dirt shoot up, just a few feet in front of me. Instinct suddenly kicked in, as I plumped myself on the ground, keeping low and sticking close to the dirt. Screaming and hoof steps were soon heard, as I saw fellow soldiers hit the ground and gallop for cover.

The soldiers, who were walking in columns as we followed a dirt path, all took cover on the ground. We quickly change position from quietly patrolling the beautiful land to panicking in fear and taking cover. Some of us moved far from each other, as more shells fell on us, keeping a distance from the other. While most of us lay on the ground in fear not, knowing what to do and waiting for a leader to instruct us.

But who could blame us? This was out first time in combat, and despite out months of training, we were still green and inexperienced in the line of fire. So situations like this were new to us. Most of us didn't know what to do or just completely forgot the all our training.

Sad to say, I was one of them. For a while I just lay on the ground and kept my head low while having my hooves over my head and tucking my metal helmet. With my eyes closed in fear, I felt my body shake and shiver as I hoped that this was just a nightmare and it would soon be over. But of course it wasn't. This was the real thing and I must face it or die.

"Spread out! Spread out!" My platoon sergeant yelled as he tried to keep low and inspect out columns. "We don't want one shell wiping out a squad do we? So spread out!"

The sudden feeling of pain, as a hoof hit me on my side, distracted me from my fear and made me look away from the ground. Looking up, I saw the platoon sergeant looking down at me with a crossed expression.

"Do you want to die, private?" He asked me, with a stern voice. A few feet behind him a shell landed, sending shrapnel towards a poor pony, as he tried to move to a better position. The sound of shrapnel hitting a body was like punching a nag of flour. I watched as the pony fall on the ground with a thud before planting himself on the dirt. A pool of blood soon formed around him, as a medical pony rushed by and try to save him.

I felt paralyzed and stiff as I watched. 'That could have been me.' I thought. The thought of getting hit by a shell anytime scared me and for a moment my body frozen in fear. But I was soon snapped out of the trance when the platoon sergeant kicked me once more, with his fore hooves, and shouted:

"I asked you a question, private! Do you want to die on this bloody dirt road?"

"Nn….no se….sergeant…." I stammered as I gave him a shaky look.

"Good." He said nodding. "Then I suggest you find better cover before a shell hits you and rips you to bits. Now move!"

I turned my head to the left and noticed some ponies already taking cover behind the thick trees, which were parallel to the dirt path. In fact, my squad was there. I must have been caught up by the fear of dying that I didn't notice them shift towards the cover of the trees. So I immediately moved towards them, keeping low and moving fast.

My rifle swung left to right, from my neck as the straps held it there, while I moved towards the trees. Like any standard issue Equestrian rifle, mine was semi-automatic and made specifically for pony use. The stock of the rifle was meant to rest on a pony's shoulder, when being fired, so that it could absorb the force of a shot being fired. On the left side of the rifle, near the area where the barrel connects with the stock, was the handle. The handle was meant to be grabbed by the jaws, so that it could be held and aimed properly. The sights lay in front of it while the trigger was on the handle. To fire the gun, all you have to do was bite hard on the trigger. All of this could be done by using the mouth only, which was useful since most ponies (For example, pegasi like me) don't have magic like unicorns.

"I'm glad you could to finally join us." A cream colored earth pony mare said as she watched me jump towards the rest of the squad. She was taking cover behind a tree that had large roots, which were like small wooden walls, surrounding her on both sides. Her helmet was loosely placed on top of her head while her raspberry mane flowed out of it. She didn't seem to be worried at the fact that we were being bombarded; in fact she was very calm and relaxed. I wondered how she was able to stay relax in a situation like this and wondered if she would tell me her secret.

"Oh, shut up Roseluck!" I said as I crawled towards her. There was enough room and cover around her, so she scotched over to the side for me.

"Don't you know that you're supposed to spread out and not bunch up?" She informed me.

"Yeah…well…." I said, remembering that basic rule of engagement. The real reason I moved towards her was I was scared, scared of the fact that I could die and die alone. The feeling of having someone beside me reassured a safe feeling and gave me the idea that I was not alone. Besides, she seemed like she knew what she was doing, even if we were both green. Too bad it broke a basic rule of staying alive.

So I moved away from her, taking cover on a small depression on the ground, that I found really convenient.

As I took cover there, I looked towards the dirt path to see one of the craziest sights that I have encountered. There, standing in the middle of the path, where three pones. The first pony, a tall gray unicorn, wore a green hath with a Colonel's insignia (Which was a silver eagle) on it. The second one, an orange unicorn mare, wore a green helmet (Similar to mine) that had a Lieutenant's insignia (Which were two silver bars that were parallel to each other) on it. The third pony, a green earth pony, had a sergeant's insignia on his sleeve band. The earth pony sergeant stood slightly behind them, with a flag placed on his saddle bag. Inspecting the flag I noticed that it was the regimental flag, with a picture of two swords crossing each other and the number 4 imprinted on it.

Looking at the sergeant, I noticed that he was trying to keep low while standing in the middle of the path. Unlike the Colonel, who was standing tall and proud, the sergeant was scared and flinched at each explosion. I felt sorry for him, seeing that his job could lead to his death, but knew that it was better him than me.

"The Colonel must be crazy!" I heard Roseluck exclaim. "Where does he think we are the parade ground? He's going to get himself killed."

I had to agree with Roseluck on this one, since even I knew that he made a large target. The Colonel was known for following everything by the book and following tradition, since he extensively drilled us with marching and all during training. But does he really think that walking around with the regimental banner was a good idea?

The three ponies pushed forward before stopping near us. I could just hear what they were saying through the sounds of shells falling and exploding around us.

"Lieutenant Silver, I want those mortars silenced." The Colonel told the orange unicorn. She nodded before giving a salute and rushing forward towards our squad. She then stood there and looked around, before her eyes fell upon our squad leader.

"Sergeant, move your squad forward. We need those mortars silenced. The rest of the platoon will follow; your squad will take point."

"Yes, mam." Our sergeant, Sgt. Lance, said as he saluted. "Alright everyone, you heard the Lieutenant, let's move out."

I didn't really want to move away from the little piece of cover I was in, since I knew that I was safer there than walking around, but I knew that I had no choice. I didn't want to get arrested and get court-martialed for cowardice. So I stood up and started following the squad, while more shells fell upon us.

The squad moved forwards, keeping close to the edge of the forest, while following the dirt path. The mortar fire seemed to follow us, since they always seemed to fall on top of our position. This made our movement slow and cautious.

We soon reached a bend on the path, where it makes a sharps right turn. The sound of mortars being fired was loud and I knew that we were getting close. They must have been on the forest, before the path bends to the right. As we continued to follow it, the sudden ripping sound of a machine gun firing caused as all to hit the ground. Most of us manage to hit the ground for cover, but the poor earth pony who was leading the point wasn't lucky. Bullets ripped through his body, puncturing through his skin as it made a loud thud at each hit. There were three hits on him and he was soon a dead mass that was bleeding on the ground.

The squad started to return fire and my ears were soon filled with the sound of guns being fired. From rifles to the machine gun in front of us, the sound of war filled the air. Although my squad mates were letting lose and firing everything they had. I just lay there in shock. The reality of combat was just sinking in on me, as bullets flew and shells fall all around us. Unlike training, where we shot a card board targets, we were in actual combat. The targets that we were shooting at were firing back and trying to kill us!

"Hey, don't just sit there! Shoot back!" I heard Roseluck shout at me, as she took a position on my left and fired her gun. For a moment, I just watched her, not sure what to do. But I soon regained my senses and let my training kick in.

So I grabbed my rifle, holding the handle by my jaws and positioning the stock on my shoulder. I then aimed it towards the flash of the machine gun and fired. Biting on the trigger, the gun fired a shot, sending a bullet towards the direction I pointed it at. The force of the gun firing pushed on my shoulder, as the recoil of the gun applied pressure on it. But it was nothing that I couldn't handle, since I fired gun before during training. The bullets flew through the air at a speed that I could not see them. But I knew that they were flying towards the target I aimed at. Whether it hit or not, I didn't know.

I continued to fire and fire until the sergeant started to move around our position and give us orders.

"This is getting us nowhere." He exclaimed as he noticed that shooting from afar is not hitting the machine gun. "We need to get up close." He then looked towards us, before his eyes fell on me and Rosé luck. "Midnight, Roseluck, I want you two to move to the left and through the forest. Get towards the flank of that machine gun and eliminate it. We'll provide covering fire if anything goes wrong."

"You got it, Sergeant!" Roseluck said immediately before looking towards me. "Alright, let's go!" She then raced of towards the trees, as bullets landed near her.

Taking a deep breath, I cleared my mind and quickly rose up. I then dashed towards the trees at full speed. I could hear bullets land near me and I swear I heard one nearly miss my head. But I got luck and manage to reach the cover of the trees unscratched.

We moved through it, swerving through the trees as we went as fast as we can. With all the equipment I had, I found it difficult to move fast. I noticed that Roseluck to was also having a hard time, as I heard her panting as we ran. But we ignored our weariness and continued to move until we got to our destination.

Reaching the spot, we took cover on a small bump of dirt on the ground. We kept silent as we listened to the machine gun firing. Firing at our squad which was trying to fire back to no avail, as the bullets hit the bags of sand that acted as their protection. Crawling forward, we moved towards a position that would enable us to get a peek at them.

Moving forward, I saw three Griffons on the sand bag position. Two of them were servicing the machine gun, while the other was looking through his binoculars. Behind them was a mortar position that had six more Griffons. Two mortars fired away at our positions and I noticed that the one with the binoculars was giving them orders. He must have been the one spotting for them.

"Alright…" Roseluck began. "…I'll take the two on the machine gun while you take the one looking through the binoculars. That wouldn't be too hard for you, would it?

I shook my head, since I felt my throat dry from the rush of fear and excitement of the moment.

"Good." She said before adding. "Don't worry about the ones on the mortar, I think we'll catch them by surprise and they probably won't have enough time to get their rifles."

I nod once more before grabbing my rifle again. Keeping the handle in my jaws, ready to bite on the trigger, I aimed my sights on the Griffon's head. I didn't know how long I stayed still, but it felt like hours, as time slowed down. I waited for the right moment, gently squeezing on the trigger, before…

BANG!

I fired my gun and felt the recoil push on my shoulder. I heard Roseluck fire two shots and saw the two Griffons on the machine gun fall, as their blood burst into a sprinkle. But as I looked towards the Griffon I aimed at, I noticed that he was still alive, and angry. I watched as the griffon took something before raising his arm and throwing it towards us. The object could be seen flying through the air and heading towards us. But as it did, Roseluck fired her gun once more and killed the Griffon with a bullet on the head, blowing his brains all over the place and spreading it on the sand bags.

The object he threw landed on the ground between the two of us and as my eyes fell upon it, I felt my heart stop. Roseluck too noticed it and her eyes went wide as she saw it. It was a grenade! Fear ran through me as I started to run my possible options. I could attempt to race away, but with my gear weighing my down, would I get away fast enough?

So I did the next best option, which, now that I look back at it, sounds idiotic. I let go of the handle of my rifle and took the grenade between my jaws. I now had a piece of deadly explosive in my jaw and if I didn't act fast my brains would be spread all over the ground and on Roseluck's cream fur (If she doesn't get hurt by the grenade itself).

Summing up all my strength, I threw the grenade towards the direction of the mortar crew. I then planted myself on the ground before hearing a loud explosion. The sound of the explosion made me glad that it didn't blow while it was between my jaws.

Looking up, Roseluck turned her attention towards the enemy position before giving me a large grin. "Looks like you did a great job, private." She told me as she patted me on the back with her hoof.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Well take a look for yourself." She told me. So I moved up and looked towards the direction she was looking.

Towards it, where the mortar crew used to be, was a pile of dead Griffon bodies. Their bodies were mangled and placed to positions I didn't know a Griffon could do. Blood was splattered everywhere while one of the mortars was covered with it. The other mortar was tipped over and was planted on top of one of the Griffons. One of the Griffons, which lay on the ground, had a large wound on his stomach, spilling his intestines and other organs out in long lines. Fluids spilled out, combining with the blood on the ground. I couldn't believe that the grenade did all that damage, which made me even happier that it didn't explode on me. But the gravity of the situation still dawned on me. I was the one that did this. I killed them and turned them to this bloody mess of intestines and thick red blood.

"That must have been one powerful grenade." Roseuck said as she continued to pat me on the back. Grinning, she looked to me with a proud voice. "Nice job, kid."

But her happiness was not shared by me. I didn't feel happy when I killed them. Griffon or not, they were still living being. Or, at least, they used to be. Now they were pieces of flesh and organs, which would soon be buried under the ground. Looking at it, I knew that it would give me nightmares. Terrible dreams that I would never forget. These were terrible things that were just a part of the horrors of war.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Celestia's sun was now replaced by Luna's moon as the dark night sky was eliminated by the bright orb that watched over the night. Laying own next to a group of trees, that covered the large hill my squad was positioned on, I could see a large open field full of green tall grass. The grass was gently blown by the cool night wind and I smiled as I felt its cooling effects on my fur. The sparkling stars dotted the sky and I admired every one of them as I looked up. The distant lights that flew over us were a magnificent sight and it was the many things that made the night beautiful.

But as I tried to relax and unwind all the stresses of the day, I couldn't help but return to the thoughts that were haunting me. The thoughts that I wished were gone from my mind and would never return. The thoughts of death and killing, the thoughts that I knew I would never be able remove, no matter how hard I try.

The sight of the dead Griffons was still imprinted in my mind and even if I try to forget them they keep on returning. Seeing their mangled bodies, with organs spilling everywhere and blood dampening the ground, could not escape my thoughts as it prevented me from having a nice comforting nap. Good thing I was on guard duty and would need to stay awake for the night.

So I decided to lie down and clear my mind, while enjoying the beauty of the night. Although I was in guard duty, I was pretty sure that I would be able to spot a Griffon sneaking through the field even if I was absent minded. Or at least I hoped I could.

As my mind continued to wonder on the thoughts on the dead Griffons, I failed to notice the sound of hooves heading my way. It seemed that I was so focused on my thoughts that I didn't notice Roseluck approach me till she was lying down next to me. Calmly, she laid herself to my left before turning her head towards me. Her green eyes looked at me with both concern and annoyance.

"Aren't you supposed to stay alert, in case any Griffons sneak by?" She asked.

"Well yeah…" I said, looking towards her, not sure what else to say.

"So why aren't you focus? It seems to me that something is bugging you."

"You can say that." I told her, looking back towards the field of stars above.

She didn't seem to want to push the topic further, since she just remained silent and looked up towards the stars. I was always amazed at how she handled things, which was always in a calm and cool way. She didn't rush and always let things go at their own pace. During the battle earlier that day she remained calm and assessed the situation quickly, while making sure everything was right. She kept her cool under fire, which enabled her to think clearly, and I started to wonder how she kept calm in the face of death.

"How do you do it?" I asked without removing my gaze from the stars.

"Hmmm….?" She asked.

"How do you remain calm all the time? Earlier that day, when we were being attacked by mortars, you seemed relaxed. As if you weren't afraid to get hit and die. So how do you do it?"

Roseluck didn't reply, as she thought about the question. But she soon did, in her sweet and calming voice. Her voice always made me wonder on how gentle ponies like her ended up in a terrible war like this. Well, we all volunteered for this so we probably all have our reasons. Be it pride or the need to be in the war. Mine being none of those since I just thought that serving Equestria and stopping the tyrannical Griffons was morally good.

"Well…" She began. "…it's probably because I don't think much about dying."

"Don't think much about dying?" I repeated, baffled. "Even when death is staring at your face and waiting for that one shell or bullet to hit you?"

"Well yeah." She said nodding. "You see, I try not to notice all of that. To me, I just stick to the training and have faith. Because before I left for this war, I promised myself that I would come back. I made a pledge that I would survive and return home when this is all over."

"That works?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. It just sounded highly unlikely to me.

"Well, to me it does. It somehow removes my worries, by just having the thought of me getting home safe. Having the idea that I would make it home somehow removes the fear of dying from me. Other done that, I don't know how I do it. Maybe my mind is just messed up like that."

We both laughed at that and I shook my head in amusement.

"As for staying calm during combat, I would have to thank my home town for that. Ponyville is notorious for disaster and is usually threatened by monsters all the time. Panicking usually leads to someone getting seriously hurt. So staying calm was the key during those times and I'm glad that I could apply it here."

"Sounds like your home town is quite an interesting place." I said.

"Oh, it sure is. The ponies there are really friendly and it's also the place where Princess Twilight Sparkle lives. You should come and visit once this is all over, I could even tour you around."

"Hmm…I'll keep that in mind." I said. 'When this is all over.' That sounded like a far off fantasy, yet it was something that we all wanted.

We remained silent once more as we enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. Nothing else could be heard, but our gentle breathing and the moaning of the cool wind. But I soon broke the silence when I asked a question that was bugging my thoughts, since earlier this day.

"Do….do the dead Griffons ever bother you? The sight of them lying there, cold and dead, on the ground, knowing that you killed them."

"No…" She said plainly. "…it actually doesn't. It doesn't bother me at all."

My eyes went wide as I was shocked at her reply. It didn't bother her! What kind of sick cold heart and crazed mind would allow a pony to see such a sight and walk away as if nothing had happened. I wanted to tell her that she was crazy to not be bothered, but I didn't let my thoughts escape my mind. Instead I asked her calmly: "Why?"

"Well, I just like to think that they are in a better place. Sure their bodies look terrible, and the sight of that might give me nightmares that even Princess Luna couldn't stop, but in my heart they are at peace at last. In a place that war has never touched. A place where both Griffons and Ponies live in tranquility."

I took in her words of wisdom and nodded. What she said calmed my mind and made me think about the place she described. Although the place sounded far-fetched, I tried to convince myself that it was real. So that I would at least have hope, on such a place where we all go when our time comes. A place where there is no hate, but love. No enemies but friends. It sounded wonderful and if I ever go down, I would love to go to this place. It was then that my mind went to peace and momentarily forgot the horrors of war. I only wished that war would never return to my thoughts and haunt me again. But like all wishes, it is never granted.

* * *

><p>The next day begun like any other in the army, we woke up, had breakfast, and checked our equipment. Our equipment being one of the crucial things that kept us alive, so making sure that they were clean and in working order was a number one priority for every soldier. Being tired from the action yesterday and doing guard duty, I started the day groggily and slow. But after some 'encouraging' shouts and kicks from the platoon sergeant, I soon found myself wide awake.<p>

Looking back down at the field, I could see that it was now fully illuminated by Celestia's sun. From my position, at the top of the hill, I looked down towards it as I lay under the shadow of a tree. The field was large and covered by tall grass, while a mile across it was a large forest of trees. The forest of trees hasn't been scouted yet and was probably filled with Griffons, who were waiting for us to come to them. Luckily for us, they didn't send any snipers to take pot shots at us and keep us pinned down.

To the far right of the field was the dirt path, the same one we were following the other day. Squinting my eyes, so I could see better through the sunlight, I could see a company of ponies scurrying near the path. From my point of view, it looked like that they were doing some last minute checks on their weapons, while their officers double checked the route they would take on the map. I couldn't tell which company it was, but I was glad to know that it wasn't ours. At least we wouldn't be point, for now.

Walking near the path, and pointing towards the forest once in a while, was a tall gray unicorn. I immediately recognized him as the Colonel, who was on with his antics once more. The sergeant, who was his flag bearer, was following close behind, with the flag fluttering rom the wind. Although showing banners per regiment was considered old fashioned and unsafe in modern warfare, I couldn't help but admit that it was a beautiful sight.

The standard of our regiment, the 4th Equestrian Volunteer Infantry Regiment, flew gracefully as the sun's gleaming light reflected its beautiful colors, for all to see. The magnificent blending of gold and white was amazing and I would like to personally thank the one who designed it, since it gave me a sense of pride and joy. I momentarily forgot the horrors of war and expected glory to be gained. The thrill of action and to see the banner flying, to defeat the enemy and kill…

The thought of killing and death immediately ceased my thought of the glory in war. There was no glory in war. At least, not from what I saw. The only thing I saw during my first battle was the ones who were alive and the ones who were dead. I didn't seem too proud in seeing that I had to kill to gain glory. The horrors of a small little skirmish were already haunting me and I had to remind myself that there was an entire war left to go. Who knows what horrors I would encounter before this war is over?

"Hey Midnight, stop they dreaming and fall in!" I heard Roseluck shout, snapping me out of my thoughts. I immediately turned my head to see that the entire squad was already formed around Sgt. Lance and was only waiting for me. So I quickly grabbed my pack, putting on my saddle bag and helmet while picking up my rifle between my jaws, before heading towards them. When I got there, I sat down next to Roseluck and placed all my attention on the sergeant.

"Alright, listen up. B Company would be leading the push today, meaning that they would be the one in the front line. The Colonel decided that our company would follow behind B Company, since he thinks that we might be tired from the engagement yesterday. So today is going to be a normal march to push the Griffons back and, unless anything goes wrong, would most likely be boring. So check your gear and make sure your canteens are full, it's a hot day today and I don't want any of you passing out from the heat."

So we did what we were told and were soon heading down the hill. By the time we got there, B Company was already on the move, while our Company was getting ready to move up. As we got ready, I caught a glimpse of the Colonel giving orders. Although he was old fashioned, I knew that he was reliable. He always knows what a soldier wants and seems to know what he is doing. Although the regiment was green and only encountered its first taste of combat yesterday. The Colonel was a veteran. From what I heard, he had fought at Saddle Arabia and earned a lot of medals there. Nothing better than to have a veteran, who has been through combat, leading a green regiment like us.

We were soon moving down the road, moving in two parallel columns on both sides of the road, and heading towards the forest.

Everything was quiet, other than the sounds of hoof steps and equipment jiggling as we walked. So this was the calmness before the storm. The defining peace that would soon lead to a battle. Because no matter how peaceful a day could start, in war, it would always end in blood.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The sound of the tracks squeaking can clearly be heard as we walked through the side of the dirt path. Glancing towards my left, I saw the large metal machine causing the loud sound; it was the Modern Battle Chariot that was assigned to support us on today's mission. Battle Chariots were basically large metal boxes, resembling no chariot I saw before, that carried a large assortment of machine guns and a canon. (This particular one was armed with a 75mm canon) From what I learned from basic training, the battle chariot was powered by a combination of earth pony strength that was converted to mechanical energy by magical generators. Other than that simple fact, I didn't know how the thing worked. But I do know that it could be pretty useful in a sticky situation, so I was glad to have some with us.

It has been three days since the little skirmish and all I could say is that the past couple of days have been uneventful. It was probably because of the fact that Bravo Company has been leading the charge since the first encounter and that the Griffon's seemed to be retreating. They were probably drawing is to grounds of their choosing, so that they could defend it easier, but those strategic things were the General's problem. My problems were more tactical and finding ways to stay alive to fight another day.

So today we found ourselves marching east, towards a small town, with my Company, A Company, leading the way. This meant that we were going to take the brunt of any battle. But seeing how B Company didn't encounter any trouble I calculated that this would be easy, especially with four Battle Chariots supporting us.

The Company formed up in two parallel lines, one platoon on each side of the road so that we could protect the Battle Chariots. My platoon was on the right side, while my squad was at the very front. I was the fifth pony on the line, while Roseluck walked in front of me.

Celestia's sun was beating down on us and I could feel my sweat dribble down my fur. It made my uniform, which was basically a jacked that ran from half my body and had sleeves that covered my fore hooves while the, damp and wet from my sweat. It made a very annoying experience that I couldn't solve.

As we continued to march at a comfortable pace, the first sight of the town started to appear from the distance. Just on the horizon, the wooden and stone houses and structures were starting to peak out. The most significant structure was a large red stone building that I guessed was an apartment or something like that.

"First platoon!" Lt. Silver's voice boomed. "Move to the right and approach the town from there: I want our flanks secured. Once you reach the town, I want you to secure the area and create a defensive perimeter. Who knows what could be hidden in there…"

With that said, we rushed towards the field to our right, sliding down the subtle slope of the canal, which separated the road from the field, before climbing it. The field had a wide crop of wheat, which would have fed a large city. This told me that the town we were approaching was mostly likely an agricultural town, which lived on the seeds they sowed.

"Alright, let move up. Double-quick everyone!" Sgt. Lance said, ushering us forward.

Moving quickly through the field, stepping on the crops and trying to keep up with everyone else, I noticed that the Battle Chariots have changed their pace. They were now going faster and closing the distance to the town. The soldiers who stick by them were trying to keep up and stay by them as best they could. It amazed me how a large metal object like that could move so fast.

Reaching the edge of the town, we were faced with a wooden fence that bordered a gray stone house. Our jumped the fence and took cover behind the house, while the rest of the platoon took cover on the surrounding houses. By now, I had my gun ready with the handle between my jaws and ready to fire.

"Roseluck, Midnight, and Defiant, you three would go first. Move to that wall that lines up on the road. Go! Go! Go!" The Sergeant said. By now, I manage to adjust my brain to the fast paced activities of combat, so I was quick to react to his orders.

So we raced forward, with Roseluck leading and Defiant behind me, jumping fences and bushes before reaching the stone wall. Taking up position there, I grabbed my rifle by the teeth and peeked up the wall. From my position, I noticed that the road we were following run across the town, while another road connected to it from the right creating a T junction. In front of us, across the road, was the large red building. Its red bricks made it stand out from the others, since most of the structures were wither gray and dull or made out of wood.

As I continued to scan the town, I noticed a small garden, towards the far left, that had a large amount of shrubbery around it. It had bushes all over, while leaves covered the ground. It looked like a normal garden, but for some reason I sensed something wrong with it.

The sound of the Battle Chariots entering the town filled my ears, as I kept my attention focused on the small garden.

Suddenly a flask of light caught my eye before being followed by the sound of a canon firing. My eyes went wide, as I saw the flash coming from the garden.

BOOM!

A loud explosion filled the air, as the ground shook. The force of which made me fall on the ground. When I got back up, I saw a stream of thick black smoke coming from the road. The houses blocked most of my view, but I knew that the smoke was not a good sight. I then concluded that one of the Battle Chariots must have been hit and destroyed. I lifted my rifle and prepared to fire, when suddenly, from above, bullets came whizzing by.

So I took cover and pressed my body on the ground, as I sheltered myself behind the stone wall. I only hoped that it was enough to protect me from the bullets that were trying to kill me.

"Machine gun, third floor, red building in front of us!" Roseluck called, as she placed a hoof on top of her helmet, and tried to keep low.

The sound of loud thuds, as if someone was being punched with tremendous force, soon entered my ears, making me follow the source of the sound. Looking towards it, I saw Defiance squirming on the ground trying to grasp for a breath of air. His right fore hoof was on his neck, as blood was spilling and creating a pool, while the rest of his hooves were frantically swaying in the air. He tried to scream for help and cry out in pain, but the blood rushing out of him prevented the sounds to exit him, as it filled his throat with fluid. Even without his cries, I could tell that he was in great pain and needed immediate help.

I wanted to help him, and stop the bleeding, but the machine gun inside the building in front of us, prevented such action. Since it was keeping us pinned down and stuck in our current position.

BOOM!

Another large explosion shook the ground, as more thick black smoke filled the air. If my conclusions were right, then that would have been another Battle Chariot. This would mean that we have lost half the Battle Chariots we had with us. Then that would mean that we were taking heaving casualties and were probably losing the current engagement.

More bullets zipped by me, as they landed on the dirt around us and making loud 'pinging' noises. My attempts to get us out of this situation were met with futility and vain. Every time I tried to aim my rifle, bullets flew and forced me to stop and get down.

At that moment, I thought that all hope was lost. Roseluck and I were pinned down, helpless and in danger of getting hit, while Defiant lay there bleeding to death, with no chance of having anyone to help him. Even though he was right next to us, the job of applying medicine and stopping the bleeding would expose our bodies and making us easy targets for the machine gun.

The sound of battle was rattling around us, as machine guns and rifles, from both sides, fired at each other as they tried to get the target in their sights. This reminded me of the first skirmish we encountered, only a billion times more intense, with more guns firing and soldiers in pain screaming. I thought of panicking and making a mad dash to safety, with a chance of getting hit, towards the rest of the squad. Seeing that any plan was better than none, especially when your life is at stake.

But the sound of rifles firing by us snapped me out of it, as Roseluck nudged me before pointing towards the gray house we took cover from earlier. Looking towards that direction, I noticed that the squad was firing their guns towards the machine gun, attracting its attention and pining it, as bullets hit the window position. I also noticed Sgt. Lance beckoning us to get back.

"I think that our cue." Roseluck said, preparing to make a dash for it.

"Wait…" I said. "…what about Defiant." I then looked towards him and saw that he was still struggling from the wound.

"Well…I guess we would have to leave him. He's just going to slow us down." She said, with coldness in her voice.

"But… We…we can't…"

But Roseluck wasn't going to have any of this. She shook her head and looked at me directly at the eyes. "Even if we both tried to carry him, he's just going to be dead weight. He'll slow us down and may cause the death of us. So if you want to live, I suggest we leave him and get back to the squad."

I was about to rebut, but stopped. She made a good argument. Trying to carry Defiant would make as an easy target and if we were hit, then we would create a larger problem for Sgt. Lance. The best decision we had was just to leave him and come back later, when the machine gun was eliminated and area secured.

So I reluctantly agreed to the plan and dashed of, under the covering fire of the rest of the squad. I tried not to think about the thing that I have done, but it was plaguing me as I dashed. Bullets flew by, but they weren't accurate since the machine gunners had trouble shooting at me, thanks to the covering fire that was provided. This meant that both of us reached the grey house without a scratch.

"Where's Defiant?" The Sergeant asked.

I kept quiet, still regretting the decision, as Roseluck explained. "We had to leave him, it was impossible to bring him back without risking our safety."

Sgt. Lance shook his head, in a way that I assumed was his form of grieving. "Too bad, he was a good soldier. Well, there's nothing we can do now… Squad, fall back!"

"Fall back?" I asked confused. "What do you mean fall back? We just got here!"

"Sorry, kid, but the entire Company is falling back." He then pointed his hoof towards the road and I could see streams of soldiers falling back, as the remaining Battle Chariots went on reverse and provided covering fire. "We're taking heaving casualties in all platoons. It looks like the Griffons are dug in deep. So we called on some artillery to level the place."

"Artillery…" I said, repeating the words. "…but…but…Defiant…"

"I'm sorry…" He said, before butting a hoof on my shoulder. "… but there's nothing we could do. If we try to rescue him from that position, then the artillery would fall on top of us." The Sergeant then looked towards the rest of the squad and ordered as to move out, and regroup with the rest of the Company.

After a while, I found myself marching down the path, heading the opposite direction from earlier. The sound of artillery shells landing echoed from the distance, as I knew that they were now leveling the town. My heart felt low, heavy, and cold, as I knew that we have left someone behind. Left him to die, from either his injury or the artillery, with no hope of survival. But I also knew that it was wither him, or Roseluck and me. Either risk one pony or lose two. That was when I learned that war makes us make terrible decisions that make you sacrifice your friends for your own life.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Blood… Blood was spread everywhere. No matter where I look, all I could see was the red fluid that was now covering the ground and every corner that it could get itself on to. That was the sight of the Forward Medical Post, when we got there. Bodies lay on top of make shift beds, as the voices of ponies screamed in pain and wail in agony. Blood was dripping on the green grass, turning it into scarlet red, as stretchers came in with ponies on top of them. The sight was gruesome and terrible and fully showed the aftermath of a battle.

Standing near the medical post, I couldn't help but stare at the scene in front of me. Doctors, nurses, and medics, rushed around as they tried to save a ponies life. While more injured ponies, coming from the encounter near the town earlier, came in long lines. The injuries varied from simple ones, like scratches, to deadly and severe ones, like a ripped off leg. One pony, who was a Battle Chariot driver, was completely burned. His fur and skin were burnt to a black crisp, as the smell of burnt flesh fouled the air. It is hard to imagine how a pony's body could be turned into such, but I concluded that it was the result of his Battle Chariot exploding. The thought of being placed in a situation like that frightened me and I started to breathe heavily as I watched more injured ponies pass.

"Hey, Midnight, are you alright?" Roseluck asked, as she waved a hood in front of me. I looked towards her, my eyes meeting hers, and stared. Although I have seen the horrors of the dead Griffons and asked for advice, so that I could remove those memories from my mind, sights like this still get to me. It made me think that I would never get used to it. I stared at her, as if I was looking for an answer to these horrors, but knew that she too couldn't answer this. No one would be able to answer this, because war could never be explained. Only experienced and tried to be forgotten.

I didn't know how long I stared at her, but after a long moment, I snapped out of the trance and nodded. "Yeah…" I said. "…yeah….I'm fine."

Roseluck looked at me, eyebrows raised and uncertain. But if she had doubts on my state, she didn't mention it. Instead, she gave a small nod, and put on a serious face. (Not that her face wasn't serious already) "Alright, good, because we got a lot of work to do." She then pointed to the many tents that housed the unending amount of patients.

"The medical staff are becoming overworked and stretched thin, so anyone who can be spared is ordered to help them. The Sergeant wants us to assist the medical staff at Tent L-42." She then looked behind her, towards the dirt path, before looking back at me. "We better hurry. It looks like there are more patients coming."

I nodded before gulping and trying to relax myself. The thought of working with so much blood frightened me, especially with the idea of having a pony's life on the line. So I tried to calm my nerves, which were very tense, and keep my cool. 'Just like in combat…' I thought to myself, remembering the words of my gunnery Sergeant. '…keep calm and don't choke up.'

But my nervousness could easily be seen, as Roseluck put a hoof on my shoulder and looked at me with a concerned and caring face. This actually shocked me, since I have never seen her put on such a caring expression. It gave me a sense of security, as she reminded me of my older sister, who always helped me during difficult times. With a small smile, which in my opinion looked lovely (I know, it's not the best time to think about that), she gently nudged me forward. "Don't worry, I'll be with you. Besides, how hard could helping the Doctors be?"

When we got to Tent L-42, I learned that the job was harder than anything the two of us could imagine. Everywhere inside the tent, Doctors and Nurses rushed as they tried to keep their patients alive. A large assortment of medicine and medical equipment was piled on a table by the corner, from morphine to bandages. Everything was disorganized and everyone had a look of confusion and fear. There was so much chaos in this one tent that Discord would have enjoyed the sight, if he was so heartless to enjoy this much suffering.

"You two must be the ones sent from A Company, right?" A nurse asked as she noticed us. She was carrying a bloody piece of cloth by her mouth, although she didn't have trouble speaking, and I tried to avoid eye contact with it. Instead I looked towards her eyes, which were tired and gave the look of exhaustion, and focused on the situation at hoof.

"Yes, mam." Roseluck said, ready to follow orders.

"Alright good, let me just…" She was heading towards an injured pony when a Doctor suddenly called for her. She knew that the pony she was heading to needed treatment, but the Doctor was calling for her with a frantic voice. Looking back towards the pony, before looking at us, she glanced at Roseluck and said:

"I really need to help the Doctor….so..." She then dropped the bloody cloth and head towards the table. I watched her grab a syringe and give it to Roseluck. "Give the poor soldier some morphine and try to keep him comfortable." With that, she raced of towards the call of the Doctor, who was on the other side of the tent.

Standing still, Roseluck stared at the injured soldier. The soldier had a large wound on his chest and was squirming left and right. Blood was soaking up the covers and turning it red. I soon found myself staring with her as the sight reminded me of Defiant. The sight of Defiant on the ground, bleeding and begging for help, flashed before my eyes as the horrors of the moment returned to me.

But I manage to push it away and return to reality. Looking towards Roseluck, I noticed her take a deep breath before moving forward. I followed her with my gaze, till my eyes fell upon the pony once more. That was when I noticed the marking written on his fore head. Moving closer to try and get a better look, I noticed that it spelled the word 'Dead'.

For a moment I was confused, since I could clearly see that the soldier was alive, badly injured, but alive. So why was the word dead written on his fore head?

But the realization soon hit me, as I suddenly felt stupid for asking it in my thoughts. The solder didn't have that mark because he was dead, because the soldier had that mark to inform the others that he would die. To inform them that his injury was useless to patch up and the any effort on saving him would be a waste of time and supplies. It marked that he was going to dies soon and that he should be made as comfortable as possible. Now it was Roseluck's job to keep him comfortable!

But after the initial shock of the moment, Roseluck seemed to be calm about it. She handled the situation smoothly and remained calm. It made me admire her for being able to control her feeling and hide what she thought inside.

"Hey there…" She said with a soothing voice as he tried to comfort him. "…don't worry now; everything is going to be alright." It always amazed me on how she could be become an amazing fighter one moment, a calming and understand pony the next. Maybe she was a nurse before the war? Nah, if she was a nurse then she wouldn't be fighting with me. Besides, her Rose cutie mark doesn't represent a nurse or anything related to medical duty.

Before I was able to move towards her and assist, a Doctor who was treating a patient pulled me towards a bed that had a pony on it. The pony was a small unicorn mare, which had orange skin. Her eyes were closed, and after looking closely, I noticed that her chest was still and not rising.

"This patient is dead, so I want you to carry her out to where they pile the dead bodies. You got all of that?"

I nodded and the Doctor immediately left to treat another patient. Looking at the body, I couldn't help but feel sorry. A large wound, which penetrated through her jacket, can be seen on her side and I couldn't imagine how much pain she endured during her last moment. But her face looked so peaceful and calm, as if nothing happened. It reminded me of what Roseluck told me, about the place of peace and tranquility and where there is no war. This soldier was there now, along with the others who joined her and about to join her. It almost made me want to keep her there so I won't disrupt her. But I had a job to do, so I grabbed her by the jacket and slung her on my back. She wasn't too heavy, but the weariness of my body made it difficult for the first few seconds. After getting used to the weight, I put a hoof forward and started out of the tent.

At first I didn't know where to go and just found myself looking around, as I carried a dead body on my back. But when I glanced towards the nearby field, I noticed the terrible area of death.

There, lined up in long rows, were dozens and dozens of dead ponies. Their cold dead bodies lay on the ground as they waited for someone to wrap them inside a body bag. I tried to count the exact number, but found it difficult. The shock of the sight was getting to me. A unicorn walked around the rows and collected the dog tags, as he wrote the names on a piece of paper.

This was the cost of war, the lives of ponies. Ponies that lived happily, only months ago, were now dead and waiting to be buried. An entire generation would be affected and I doubted if the wound could ever be healed.

* * *

><p>Images of Defiant flashed before me, as I watched him stare at me with cold blue eyes. Blood was dripping from his neck, as he trotted towards me in a slow pace. His mouth was moving, trying to speak, but no words came out. I tried to back away, but I found my legs unresponsive and still. So I was left frozen, as Defiant got closer and closer. The sound of his hooves and guns firing around me filled my ears, as guilt and fear ripped through my mind. With every step of his hoof, his silent mouth become louder and louder until I could clearly hear him. His voice started to become clear as more blood dripped from the wound on his neck.<p>

"Why…" His voice trailed, with a lazy yet loud tone. "Why did you leave me?"

I felt my heart sink as I knew what he was talking about. I knew that I left him and didn't even try to get him out. The thought of it still brought guilt to me and was always plaguing my thoughts. I tried to explain to him about the reasons of leaving him behind, but all my attempts became futile as I choked up. My throat felt dry and every word was painful to say. So I remained silent as I watched Defiant get ever so closer and closer, until he was right in front of me. With an ear piercing cry, he shouted: "Why!" My ear drums felt like they were going to explode, as I brought my ears back to attempt to cover them. Then, suddenly and out of the blue, I felt warm blood cover me, as Defiant's head exploded to bits. It sent chunks of flesh and brain all over, as it covered me. At this point I panicked and screamed to the top of my lungs.

"Ahhhh!" I yelled, as I opened my eyes to see nothing but the inside of my tent. My heart was beating fast as I felt sweat dripping from my body. I was breathing fast and my vision felt blurry, but the images of the nightmare were still imprinted in my mind. The terrible sound, the fright, and the pain, were all piled up in a combo pack.

As I continued to grasp for breath, I noticed that something was squirming by me. Looking towards my left, I noticed that it Roseluck, who probably woke up from my screaming. She had moved away from her sleeping bag, and was now next to mine. She looked towards me, and her green eyes met mine. I could see that concern, the same one earlier, radiating from the green orbs and knew that she was worried about me.

So, without warning, I wept. The guilt that was built up inside me burst, in the form of tears. I desperately wanted to tell her what I felt, but could find no words to express it. So instead, I burred my face on my hooves and let my teas fall in a shower. My cries of grief echoed in the tent and I didn't know how many soldiers heard me cry.

"There, there, just let it all out." Roseluck said, as she wrapped her hoof behind me and pulling to a hug. Her warm body pressed against mine and for a brief moment I felt the warm fuzzy feeling of someone being there to help me. Her presence gave me a sense of security and I was very thankful for that. So I found myself crying, letting my heart out, as one of my greatest friends comforted me in a time where I felt weak and vulnerable. Only in war can a bond like this can form and only in war a bond like this can end.


End file.
